Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III touches his back after a sack by Baltimore Ravens defensive end Arthur Jones during the second half Sunday, Dec. 9, 2012. / Alex Brandon, AP

by Erik Brady, USA TODAY Sports

by Erik Brady, USA TODAY Sports

ASHBURN, Va. - Washington Redskins rookie wunderkind Robert Griffin III did not suffer major damage when his right knee bent the wrong way as he took a violent hit Sunday. The sound you hear is Greater Washington exhaling.

Griffin has a grade 1 sprain of the lateral collateral ligament of his right knee, Redskins coach Mike Shanahan said at a news conference Monday.

He has mild swelling "and we'll evaluate it day by day, see how he is on Wednesday" for practice, "but talking to him today, he felt pretty good," Shanahan said.

Shanahan stopped short of saying that Griffin would play Sunday at the Cleveland Browns but "definitely" did not rule him out.

Shanahan pointed to the side of his own right knee to show where the injury was: "The LCL is the outside ligament right here, on this part of the knee. There are different grades: 1, 2 and 3. It's a grade 1, so that was a good sign.

"We did not know going into it if it was grade 1, 2 or 3. So it's a grade 1, he's got some mild swelling. Hopefully, with rehab it gets better very quickly. â?¦ We felt very good with the news."

Griffin tore the ACL in his right knee in 2009, but that ligament is fine and there is no other structural damage to the knee, Shanahan said.

Griffin did not speak at Monday's news conference, as it was the players' day off, but he tweeted: "Your positive vibes and prayers worked people!!!! To God be the Glory!"

At a news conference after Sunday's game, Griffin said he knew immediately that he was hurt as he was being hit. "I screamed - like a man, of course," Griffin said, laughing. "It hurt really bad."

Griffin ran upfield on a 13-yard scramble in the final minutes of regulation, cutting past Baltimore Ravens safety Bernard Pollard and lunging Ravens linebacker Paul Kruger before falling toward the ground, back first, with his right leg in the air. That's when tackle Haloti Ngata dove at Griffin, hitting him directly on his right knee, which whiplashed awkwardly as the football fans of metropolitan Washington held their collective breath.

Griffin sat out one play, returned for four more, during which he completed two more passes while hopping around on one leg, then left the field again, this time for good. Shanahan said Monday that the decision to send him back in was made in consultation with James Andrews, the noted orthopedic surgeon who was on the sideline.

Backup quarterback Kirk Cousins, a fellow rookie, threw an 11-yard TD pass with 29 seconds remaining to close out the drive Griffin started. Cousins also ran for a tying two-point conversion to send the game to overtime at 28-28, and Washington won on Kai Forbath's 34-yard field goal in overtime.

For all of Cousins' heroics, it was Griffin who burnished his burgeoning reputation for taking the blow and going back into the game and rallying his team down the field on one leg, flamingo-like. Sports talk radio in Washington was ablaze with talk of Griffin on Monday. Doctors who are not involved speculated on how bad the injury might be. Fans marveled at Griffin's flexibility, the way his leg bent unnaturally. One voice even suggested that Griffin, sometimes known as RG Three-sus, has the power to heal himself.

Griffin wore a black brace on his knee after the game and moved gingerly. He had an X-ray before leaving Fed-Ex Field.

Griffin has started every game this season, but this was the second time he was knocked out by injury. He got hit in the head and suffered a concussion in a loss against the Atlanta Falcons on Oct. 7.

The 7-6 Redskins are on a four-game winning streak that has vaulted them back into playoff contention. One game behind the New York Giants in the NFC East, the Redskins play at Philadelphia after the Browns and finish the season Dec. 30 at home against Dallas.

Griffin's future health is more important than any future games on the schedule, offensive tackle Trent Williams said by conference call in the Redskins' media workroom Monday. "It is really not worth injuring him more if he is at risk," Williams said.

Shanahan said the decision on whether to play Griffin or Cousins on Sunday would hinge on if Griffin is able to go full speed and help the team win.

"We're going to do what is in Robert's best interest," Shanahan said. "Usually, when you do that, it's in the team's best interest as well."

Griffin completed 15 of 26 passes for 246 yards and a touchdown Sunday and ran seven times for 34 yards, including the 13-yarder on which he was hurt.